Oak Ridge Symphony, Sound Company to perform Noah’s Ark opera

Monday

Feb 26, 2018 at 1:19 PM

On Saturday, March 10, the talented young vocalists of the Sound Company Children’s Choir of Oak Ridge will join forces with the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra to perform British composer Benjamin Britten’s acclaimed “Noye’s Fludde.” This “opera of Biblical proportions” is based on the 15th-century Chester mystery play about the Old Testament story of Noah’s Ark.

On Saturday, March 10, the talented young vocalists of the Sound Company Children’s Choir of Oak Ridge will join forces with the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra to perform British composer Benjamin Britten’s acclaimed “Noye’s Fludde.” This “opera of Biblical proportions” is based on the 15th-century Chester mystery play about the Old Testament story of Noah’s Ark.

The orchestra, conducted by Music Director Dan Allcott, will also play “Siegfried Idyll,” German composer Richard Wagner’s beautiful tribute to his wife and newborn son. The concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. at Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center.

“Noye’s Fludde” is a one-act opera intended primarily for amateur performers, particularly children. The opera received its American premiere in New York in March 1959. Since then it has been staged worldwide; the performance in Beijing in October 2012 was the first in China of any Britten opera. The occasion of Britten’s centenary in 2013 led to numerous productions at music festivals, both in the UK and abroad.

Son of a dentist, Britten (1913-76) was an English composer, conductor and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British classical music, with a range of works including opera, other vocal music, as well as orchestral and chamber pieces.

The Sound Company Children’s Choir comprises about 100 children ranging from grades 1 through 12. The multi-age choir performs in Oak Ridge, Knoxville and other sites in East Tennessee. Older children travel periodically to participate in competitions and concerts.

Sound Company’s wide-ranging repertoire includes classical, pop, show, folk and multicultural music. Its members come from schools and communities all over East Tennessee. Sound Company was founded in 2003 as a nonprofit performing arts ensemble.

Best known for his operas, Wagner (1813-83) composed the “Siegfried Idyll” as a birthday present to his second wife Cosima after the birth of their son Siegfried in 1869. It was first performed on Christmas morning in 1870 by a small ensemble on the stairs of the Wagners’ villa in Switzerland. Cosima awoke to its opening melody.

Wagner originally intended the “Siegfried Idyll” to remain a private piece. But financial pressures convinced him to sell the score after he expanded the orchestration to 35 players to make the piece more marketable.

The Oak Ridge Civic Music Association is a proud participant in the Penny4Arts program. All students 18 and under may attend any Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra, Chorus or Chamber Music concert for free during the 2017-18 season. General admission is $25; a discounted young adult ticket (ages 19-29) sells for $10. Tickets are available at www.ORCMA.org or by calling (865) 483-5569.

The Oak Ridge Civic Music Association presents professional performances in the Oak Ridge community with its symphony, chorus and chamber music series. Subscription and individual tickets may be purchased online at www.ORCMA.org or by calling (865) 483-5569.

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